High-Stakes Prisoner Swap Sets New Precedents in Geopolitics

The recent release of 26 prisoners, including journalists and ex-soldiers, from various countries highlights a significant geopolitical prisoner exchange. This deal, brokered by the Biden administration, underscores the risks journalists face and the potential precedent set for using them as leverage in international negotiations.

Sydney, Aug 2 (The Conversation) - The photograph of jubilant prisoners returning on an American plane, all wearing broad smiles, captures the essence of a highly intricate mission: joy, relief, and success.

The release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, former US Marine Paul Whelan, and others marks the largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War. A total of 26 people from seven different countries were freed in a complex negotiation that took years to finalize.

Notably, eight Russians were released in return, with Vadim Krasikov, a Federal Security Service colonel, being the most infamous. While the Biden administration deserves credit for the deal, the case raises ethical questions by establishing a potential precedent of using journalists as geopolitical bargaining chips.

(With inputs from agencies.)